


Bargaining Power

by Tarlan



Category: Eureka (TV), Supernatural
Genre: Deal with a Devil, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-29 06:14:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10848141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: Jack makes a deal with a crossroads demon for Nathan's life, and gets more than he bargained.





	Bargaining Power

**Author's Note:**

> For **hc_bingo** Prompt: deal with the devil  
>  and **mmom** 2017

Jack felt pretty stupid as he drove out to one of Eureka's remote crossroads in the middle of the night. He pulled over and looked hard at the shoebox containing all the things SARAH had told him he needed to summon a crossroads demon, and it was a pretty weird set at that: a photo of himself, some graveyard dirt, and a bone from a black cat. He'd felt a little guilty digging up Doctor Hopkin's recently deceased cat but there was no way he was going to kill any animal even for something as important as this. He got the initial idea from SARAH, who was currently intrigued by the whole 'making a deal with the devil' and black magic, but she was still just an A.I., a computer program, and didn't believe whereas Jack had seen some inexplicable things over the years that could not be explained away by technology. At least he didn't think they could be explained. Even though he had seen some amazing things since coming to Eureka, he knew there was even stranger stuff at Warehouse 13 that did defy all explanation. Not that he had mentioned any of this to SARAH just in case she told Zoe.

He grabbed his shovel from the back of the Cherokee and began digging, burying the shoe box, and then he waited.

A minute passed with no sign of anything happening. Jack shook his head, mentally berating himself for wanting to believe in stupid superstitions and rituals pulled off a search on the internet. He started to turn away only to hear a man clearing his throat behind him.

"How can I be of assistance?"

Jack turned, startled by the unassuming man with receding hair and a neatly trimmed beard. He was dressed like a business man in an expensive suit and overcoat but, otherwise, he looked far too ordinary to be a demon. Just as Jack was about to mention this the man's eyes flared red for a moment leaving Jack in no doubt. The demon smiled disarmingly, oozing charm.

"My name's Crowley, and you are... Jack Carter." Crowley walked around Jack, sizing him up. "What do you want, Jack? Riches? Fame? Power? Or perhaps you want to get the girl?"

Jack frowned, feeling a little guilty because if he'd been making this deal just a few months back then he might have been seeking a way to win over Allison. Events had overtaken him, dooming their relationship forever when he realized he'd made a fool of himself on that fateful wedding day during one of the time loops, when Allison had made it very clear she was in love with Nathan, and now she needed Nathan more than ever. It hadn't stopped him from loving her but now he knew it could never be reciprocated. If he had to be brutal with himself then he had to admit he was more upset she was marrying Nathan than anything else, and then the bastard had to go sacrifice himself to save the world.

"I want you to bring back Nathan Stark. Un-delete him."

For a moment Crowley looked pensive but he turned the charm back on so quickly Jack thought he might have imagined it.

"And what would you offer in return?"

"How about you name your price and I'll see if I can meet it."

Crowley pretended to ponder on that for a moment. "Your soul."

It was tempting but Jack had this strange feeling his heart and soul already belonged to another. Plus Zoe would kill him if he gave up his soul for Nathan Stark, of all people. He shook his head and Crowley narrowed his eyes and sighed as if he had read Jack's thoughts.

"I see. Already given that away," Crowley murmured in irritation. "First born?"

Jack widened his eyes in shock before beginning to seethe in anger at the very thought of putting his daughter's life and soul at risk as a bargaining chip. He loved Zoe and he would rather die horribly than see her hurt in any way.

"I won't do anything illegal or immoral but..."

Crowley sighed in frustration. "There's not a whole lot left for you to bargain with..." He added slyly, "And it was your fault he died, Jack. You owe him the chance to live again. You owe it to Allison, and to his unborn child."

His words confirmed the demon could either read his thoughts or had the ability to draw information from some magical internet. Jack hoped it was the latter. He also knew Crowley was simply trying to play on the guilt Jack had carried every day since losing Nathan, especially after learning Allison was pregnant with Nathan's child. The demon rolled his eyes.

"Come on, Jack, you must have come here with something in mind," Crowley wheedled.

"My life for his." Jack swallowed hard. There, he had said it. He had made his offer, but Crowley looked at him like he was insane.

"And how does that benefit me?" His eyes sparked red. "Unless you're offering me **his** soul?"

"Uh... no. It's not mine to give."

"Isn't it?" Crowley asked slyly, which confused Jack, but he was not going to bargain away anyone's soul. Crowley must have realized this because he rolled his eyes again. "Worse than Squirrel and Moose," he muttered. "So you summoned me here to play swapsies?"

"I should have died that day. Not him."

"The one time I decide to go have a little fun. Schmooze a soul out of some schmuck... and what do I get?" he muttered to himself just loud enough for Jack to hear.

Jack winced and watched as the demon paced, obviously deep in thought. Crowley stopped dead, having obviously thought of something, then shook his head, shoulders slumping, and carried on pacing. Eventually he looked over at Jack.

"So... your life for his. That's all you've got." He looked annoyed and raised his hand as if about to snap his fingers. "Or I could just take..." He paused, a gleeful smile stretching across his face as he studied Jack carefully. "Why not," he murmured and Jack tensed, expecting to die any second but it was a price he had been willing to pay. "Oh no, you don't get off that easy, choir boy," Crowley stated ominously. "I accept."

Crowley stepped right into Jack's personal space and cupped his face. Admittedly Jack hadn't been looking forward to sealing the deal with a kiss because, well, Crowley was a man, but he'd steeled himself for it anyway, hoping it wouldn't be so different from kissing a woman. He felt soft lips press against his and the slight scratch of Crowley's beard against his shaved cheek. He expected it to be the last thing he ever felt, expected to die, but Crowley vanished without another word, leaving him alone at the crossroads.

Had he made a bargain? And if so then when would Crowley collect?

The sudden trilling of his cell phone startled Jack and he fished the phone out of his pocket.

"Go for Carter."

"Jack! You need to come to Global. Now!"

"Allison? What's...?" But she had already hung up on him.

Jack scurried to his Cherokee and hit the sirens, suddenly afraid in case this had anything to do with his weird attempt to negotiate Nathan's return to life with a crossroads demon. He pulled into the space reserved for local law enforcement and jogged into the main atrium where Fargo was waiting for him, jiggling with nervous energy and excitement, which could be good... or very bad.

"This way, Sheriff."

Jack followed and after a moment he had to ask, "Are you going to clue me in or do I have to guess what's happened in Nutsville today?"

"Um... we're here."

'Here' was the medical center and Jack stepped inside expecting to find it filled with mayhem but it was no different than usual, perhaps quieter even. Confused, he followed Fargo to one of the private patient rooms and saw a figure lying unnaturally still on the bed. He couldn't make out who it was because of the medical staff hovering over the man. Jack looked across at Allison, confused when he felt nothing more than friendship towards her, as if a light bulb had switched off inside him. The medics moved away, and as the man on the bed opened his eyes and looked towards him, Jack felt a twisting inside his gut, his heart skipping then hammering in his chest.

"Nathan," he breathed in shock, feeling as if he'd been zapped by a thousand volts of electricity.

"Told you I'd see you around, Jack," Nathan stated weakly, and the soft smile melted something inside Jack's chest. "Jack?"

With a strong feeling of dread he looked across at Allison, at her beautiful soft mocha skin, sweet lips, and the curve of her breasts... and he felt nothing. No spark of sexual tension or excitement, but a familiar sensation of butterflies filled him when he glanced back at Nathan, at the soft dark curls framing his handsome face, the play of muscles from where he worked out at the gym each morning. Long legs, narrow waist, and a strong chest with a few sparse chest hairs peeking through the v-neckline of his white hospital gown almost had Jack salivating even though his mouth felt bone dry. Nathan's beard looked silky, and Jack recalled the rasp of Crowley's beard against his skin, sending another thrill of excitement straight to his groin. 

Nathan smirked. "Looks like I've finally broken him," he added with a soft laugh, but Jack knew Nathan hadn't broken him.

Crowley had.

He recalled Zoe telling him the Death card in a Tarot deck meant ' _change_ ' rather than physical death. Crowley had changed him. He recalled all the internet warnings about making deals with the devil, and how the demon would twist it for his own benefit, always a win-win scenario for the demon. Then he remembered his mother's advice that he should have heeded. 

_Be careful what you wish for as it may come true._

Jack rushed away, not stopping until he was back at the bunker. He called in sick, leaving Deputy Andy in charge, and buried himself under the covers in his bedroom only to have visions of Nathan alive and whole plaguing him until he could no longer resist the need filling him. He tried to picture Allison as he wrapped his fingers around his hard cock but she did nothing for him, leaving him uncomfortable and unsatisfied. Eventually he gave in and thought of Nathan, coming hard in just a few short strokes as he imagined Nathan touching him, kissing him, the dark beard scraping over his inner thighs as Nathan wrapped his soft, kissable lips around Jack's cock.

"FUCK!" he exclaimed as he cleaned up the mess.

Afterwards he lay back on the bed staring up at the ceiling, grateful he'd convinced SARAH not to monitor his bedroom as he really didn't want to explain why he had cursed so loudly. Jack thought back to the crossroads and the deal he thought he was making with the demon. He'd offered his life believing he would die so he knew he should be grateful Crowley hadn't killed him outright. Instead he'd kind of been let off lightly all things considered, exchanging one unrequited love for another.

Days turned to weeks, and Jack's personal nemesis, returned from the grave, once more became the bane of his existence, though this time it was worse because Jack didn't want to fight with Nathan. Except that was exactly what happened every time, with each of them squaring up to the other over even the most ridiculous things. The latest catastrophe almost brought them to blows - and not the sort of blows that haunted Jack's dreams, day and night. The only small spark of satisfaction came from knowing the wedding between Nathan and Allison was off - permanently - despite the baby. Angry and despairing, Jack went home, stripping out of his uniform into casual wear and wrapping himself in his blue bathrobe as part of his comfort ritual.

"Doctor Stark is at the door," SARAH chimed up, and Jack groaned because he couldn't deal with anything more from that man today.

"Tell him-"

"Doctor Stark says he knows you are at home and if you do not open the door then he will take me offline so he can open it. Please don't let Doctor Stark shut down my program," SARAH stated anxiously.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Fine. Let him in." He waited until Nathan had stepped inside. "What do you want, Stark?"

"To see if you really are this dense."

Jack felt affronted, "I beg your pardon?"

"Yep. You really are that dense," he stated, confusing and annoying Jack at the same time. "Perhaps actions might speak louder than words."

Every thought fled at the brush of Nathan's lips against his, leaving him lost in sensation and a desperate need to have more of Nathan, to feel his warm skin, the curve of muscle and heavier weight bearing down on him. He lost all rational thought, only coming back to his senses as his orgasm ripped through him, almost frightening in its intensity, leaving him feeling wiped out and boneless, barely aware of having been stripped naked. Nathan had slowed his touches, losing the urgency now they were both pleasantly sated, and that's when the shock settled into the pit of his stomach, of what he had just done with another guy.

"No, no, no." He shoved up from under Nathan, grabbing for his t-shirt to try and cover himself, feeling lost and scared.

"Jack..."

"No. This isn't real. I'm not..." he choked out. 

Nathan reached for him and he almost shook off his hand but something in Nathan's touch anchored his turbulent emotions.

"Jack," Nathan repeated, drawing Jack back down onto the couch.

"This isn't real. This..." Jack shook his head then averted his eyes from the gorgeous naked man. "Can you at least put some pants on because..."

"No."

Jack shook his head in exasperation.

"Jack, talk to me."

"This..." he waved between them. "This isn't me. I made a deal with a demon to get you back," he blurted out, "And he changed me. Made me want..."

Nathan had both eyebrows raised. He grabbed Jack by his shoulders and forced him to look right at him, eyes deadly serious.

"Jack, no one can change what was already there. Not that I believe in demons but if there was such a thing then all he did was take away the layers of denial." Nathan relaxed a fraction. "It wasn't until I stepped into that time chamber I figured it out. Jack, Taggart nailed it months earlier when he called us out for bickering like an old married couple. I was so... terrified by the thought I practically railroaded Allison into remarrying me." He smiled, letting his hands skim down Jack's arms suggestively. "And was it really that bad?"

Jack opened his mouth to answer but shivered instead as Nathan's hands dropped to his thighs, slowly dragging away the t-shirt providing Jack with his last shred of dignity. His cock was already stirring, thickening and lengthening, something that hadn't happened this soon after an orgasm since his teens.

"In those last seconds all I could think of was you," Nathan murmured as he leaned in and kissed Jack, and none of Jack's fears mattered any longer.

Perhaps it had been a heavy case of denial and Crowley felt it payment enough to tear up Jack's fragile world and send him rushing headlong into Nathan's arms. Perhaps he thought it would break his mind, send him insane, making for some kind of demon entertainment, or perhaps the demon actually had a heart, though that was fairly unlikely. Whatever the case, Nathan's words had sunk in, answering questions about himself Jack had refused to acknowledge his whole life until a few weeks earlier. As he poured all his heart and soul into the kiss, he wondered it if would be tempting fate if he thanked the devil.

END  
 


End file.
